The present invention refers to a holding device adapted to be flanged to a machine for filling and for automatically twisting off sausages and provided with a brake ring housing which is secured to a support tube guided in a guide tube and which encloses the free end of a twist-off nozzle of the machine in its operation position, said brake ring housing being adapted to be pivoted away from said operation position, in response to actuation of a pivotable lever action on the guide tube, in such a way that the free end of the twist-off nozzle is freely accessible.
Such a holding device is known in the prior art. A holding device of this type permits an automatic performance of the twist-off operation when individual portions are being filled into sausage skins. In a machine for filling and for twisting off sausages, the twist-off gear means is normally located on the front side of the machine, and the twist-off nozzle projects horizontally from said twist-off gear means. This twist-off nozzle has fitted thereon the caterpillar sausage skin for the purpose of filling, said caterpillar sausage skin being subsequently withdrawn gradually during the filling and twist-off operation.
In the operating position, the holding device encloses the free end of the twist-off nozzle with the brake housing.
In view of the fact that the brake ring housing must enclose the free end of the twist-off nozzle in the operating position so that the braking effect can be produced, said free end of the twist-off nozzle is not freely accessible in this operating position. Hence, there must be a possibility of pivoting away the brake ring housing for the purpose of fitting on new caterpillar sausage skins. There must be a possibility of doing this as simply and as rapidly as possible so that the filling rates of such machines, which are, in principle, extremely high are not rendered useless.
For the purpose of fitting on a new caterpillar sausage skin, the brake ring housing must first of all be adapted to be displaced axially so that the free end is no longer enclosed by the contour of said brake ring housing, and, subsequently, a pivotal angular displacement must be effected so that the free end of the twist-off nozzle is exposed.
In order to achieve this, the measure of supporting and guiding the support tube such that it is adapted to be longitudinally displaced relative to a guide tube with the aid of sliding springs is known from the prior art. The drive of the support tube and, consequently, also of the brake housing for longitudinal displacement is effected via a pivotable lever, which is adapted to be pivoted in a vertical plane and which carries a gear engaging a support tube portion constructed as a rack.
This displacing movement is carried out in the longitudinal direction of the support tube for such a distance that the free end of the twist-off nozzle is no longer enclosed in the contour of the brake ring housing. Measures are then taken, which permit that the brake ring housing can be pivoted aside by hand.
It is essential to the function of such a holding device that, in the operating position of the brake ring housing, said brake ring housing can be secured in position in the longitudinal direction and, relative to the twist-off nozzle, such that it extends parallel to the axis of said twist-off nozzle in an extremely exact manner so that the brake can precisely cooperate with the free end of the twist-off nozzle.
The hitherto known axial displacement guide means, which employ sliding springs, turned out to be still in need of improvement with regard to exact positioning of the support tube and with regard to a displacement of the support tube in a manner free from play.
Hence, the present invention is based on the task of improving a holding device of the type mentioned at the beginning with regard to the ease of handling and with regard to the positioning accuracy of the brake ring housing relative to the twist-off nozzle.